Most Helpful Customer Reviews

With the flip of a coin , it's home I go. Ichi returns to the town he was raised as a child only to find that much has changed since he last left. A good film in the series I gave it five stars because I am bias and think that they all deserve five. This one was a strong introduction into Ichi's personal life along with the background of villians and lost ruffians with little or no way to reedeem their karma. Of course the cane sword is revealed yet again which leads to some good gore. I thought this was an all around good story with lots of underlying plays on greed and deception, and above all ,love ,shame and guilt from Ichi whom never seems to want to be bothered after it all goes down. Much is lost to our friend Ichi and he seems to just lose more.

The 25th episode of Zatoichi finds the ever humble blind masseur on his way to his hometown. It has been years since Zatoichi has visited his family; and with a toss of a coin, the protagonist finds himself back to a different village that he left many years before. One of the changes Zatoichi finds is that he has a sister who was raised by the same woman who raised him. Only the old woman is now deceased: Zatoichi has been away far too long.

Also, Zatoichi meets a man who grew up with him as a young boy. This man is now a corrupt government official. When Zatoichi is giving this friend a massage, the official says that he does not know Zatoichi, yet ichi knows that the official is lying. Ichi relates what they did as children, and still the official rebuffs him. The official is not only corrupt, but he has no honor and decency. The official is attempting to claim the village's quarry, which is the main source of income for the people who live there. And this angers Zatoichi.

One of the greatest actors in cinema history also makes his appearance in the film. Takashi Shimura--of the famed "SEVEN SAMURAI" and "IKIRU" by Akira Kurosawa, portrays the old man who is watching over the new-found sister of Zatoichi. Takeshi Shimura has always been my favorite actor, and it was wonderful to see him in this episode of Zatoichi. The conclusion of the film is a strange one, which I do not wish to give away. However, Zatoichi confronts his old childhood friend. And as he does he struggles with the problem of whether or not to kill him. This is an excellent Zatoichi episode. The cinematography is great, and the character actors in the film--especially the corrupt official--are great. I highly recommend this great episode of "Zatocihi's Conspiracy" to all viewers.

No matter what you may think, home changes. And when Ichi returns to his home town he finds out the hard way. Love, friendship and change are all very much the core of this story. Lots of character interaction and development are followed by a blood bath at the end of the film. Well, all the films end that way.But it is the feeling that Ichi is sad by the changes he found in the village and really upset by his old friend's greed that makes the film for me. Once again, the characters are the focus of the story, the sword-slashing just frosting on the cake.